Matthew Perry - Could I BE any more drowned at the age of 54?

[Jack Shaftoe]

The thing I thought Perry was very good in, other than Friends, which showed he did have some range, was a chillingly gaslighting politician in The Good Wife, genuinely quite an unnerving role.

I genuinely, and I don't mean this flippantly, think there are probably much worse ways to go than a sudden heart attack in your hot tub after decades of horrendous drug abuse. Poor sod though, he seemed like a deeply unhappy person.

(edit: not a fan of the thread title tbh)

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Such terribly sad news, he was a great comic actor.

And this thread title can get to fuck. Honestly.

[Old Nehamkin]

The Whole Six Feet

Matthew Buried.

All I've got. Rip.

[bgmnts]

Don't think the title is that bad, it's just a reference to the cadence of his most famous acting role.

Seemed like a sad man who did a lot of drugs and it caught up with him as he got clean? I dunno.

Perhaps the two hours of whatever the fuck 'pickleball' is took it out of him.

[edwardfog]

Knew it would be someone on this board to make this joke. How do people who spend all their time watching comedy have the worst sense of humour of anywhere on the internet

RIP Matthew Perry I liked you in Friends when I was younger

[BritishHobo]

God this is sad. Seems like he really did have a grim time of it.

Always felt quite bad for him in the 00s/10s. As by far the funniest Friend, he should have waltzed into something else, but he ended up with a string of one-season shows, kicked off by Studio 60.

[Chollis]

Sad. He was the best Friend.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Don't think the title is that bad, it's just a reference to the cadence of his most famous acting role.

We all know what it's 'just' a reference to, but it's cunty and witless. Anyway, I'm out. There's no point going on about it.

[lauraxsynthesis]

In a recent RHLSTP Richard Herring recommended Perry's autobiography. He said the man seemed very unpleasant and lacking in self-awareness and it was a compelling read. I've never even seen Friends but am curious about the autobiography - anyone here recommend it?

[PlanktonSideburns]

Such terribly sad news, he was a great comic actor.

And this thread title can get to fuck. Honestly.

I won't keep you guys, but just to register my gettofuckittude on the pathetic thread title

As you were

[Pink Gregory]

In a recent RHLSTP Richard Herring recommended Perry's autobiography. He said the man seemed very unpleasant and lacking in self-awareness and it was a compelling read. I've never even seen Friends but am curious about the autobiography - anyone here recommend it?

Everyone just seemed to be about the Keanu Reeves beef, never heard anyone take it particularly seriously.  You just get the impression he wasn't a well man and continued to be so.

[Butchers Blind]

I never liked Friends and found all the characters completely unlikeable, so I'm fine with the thread title.

[Rizla]

Tributes pouring in from his "Friends"co-stars.

Matt le blanc (Joey) said "how YOU dyin?"

[Andy147]

Dunno what DSMO stands for but I agree, the tone of these threads is often quite cunty.

I assume it's Don't Start Me Off, a notorious forum which disappeared about 10 years ago.

[Good Hank]

I did read Perry's book, and while there was plenty of psychobabble, I think he did make genuine attempts to help others going through what he had. But you didn't finish with the impression he was going to have a happy second act.

He was a fantastic comic actor, and I still enjoy watching Friends.

[Icehaven]

This is very sad, Friends was brilliant but he was still the best thing about it by miles, and while it's still a shock, given his well documented issues my first thought was it had to be either a coke heart attack or suicide. RIP Miss Bong.

[Icehaven]

I did read Perry's book, and while there was plenty of psychobabble, I think he did make genuine attempts to help others going through what he had. But you didn't finish with the impression he was going to have a happy second act.

He was a fantastic comic actor, and I still enjoy watching Friends.

I've not read it yet (despite starting a thread on here about it a while back), I was waiting for the paperback but I'll probably just get it from work now. Didn't he start a rehab centre for alcoholics at one point?

[oggyraiding]

The Matthew Perry thing that stands out to me is that he was a huge fan of Fallout 3, even gifting a copy of it to Ellen DeGeneres on her chat show. His fan status got him cast as a major character in Fallout New Vegas. He was absolutely atrocious. Flat delivery, felt like he was reading the words straight from the script for the first time. It just struck me as bizarre as he was obviously a fan of the games, and it must have felt good to be part of a sequel, then he just does a shit job. Not sure if he was on drugs at the time.

[Blue Jam]

In a recent RHLSTP Richard Herring recommended Perry's autobiography. He said the man seemed very unpleasant and lacking in self-awareness and it was a compelling read. I've never even seen Friends but am curious about the autobiography - anyone here recommend it?

Not read it but I can highly recommend this edition of the excellent podcast Celebrity Memoir Book Club:

https://audioboom.com/posts/8232817-matthew-perry-has-friends-lovers-and-a-big-terrible-thing

It sounds like a pretty grim read.

Still sad for this to happen as he finally got clean, but as others have said years of substance abuse can suddenly catch up on a person.

[Good Hank]

I've not read it yet (despite starting a thread on here about it a while back), I was waiting for the paperback but I'll probably just get it from work now. Didn't he start a rehab centre for alcoholics at one point?

I can't recall whether it was for addicts in general, but he forged a close bond with his sponsor and decided they would go into partnership on a facility, despite being warned against it. I don't think it turned out that well.

[madhair60]

I never liked Friends and found all the characters completely unlikeable, so I'm fine with the thread title.

would you go so far as to say you are happy with the events as they have transpired?

[Icehaven]

I can't recall whether it was for addicts in general, but he forged a close bond with his sponsor and decided they would go into partnership on a facility, despite being warned against it. I don't think it turned out that well.

That's a shame. I vaguely remember reading an interview with him around the time he was setting it up and it seemed like a positive focus he was throwing himself into.

[DrGreggles]

I have no problem with the thread title - thought it was pretty funny myself.
And the comments within it have been mostly kind and respectful.

Anyway, always thought he was good onscreen, and I hope he was happier in his private life than was generally reported.
RIP Matthew

[Pink Gregory]

You wonder if the pressure of being 'the funny one' in an ensemble sitcom would get to a young actor a bit.

[beanheadmcginty]

Personally speaking, if I had to choose one of them to drown it would have to be Schwimmer, just for the irony factor.

[Pink Gregory]

maybe there could be a show where Matt LeBlanc could do a sort of Brewster's Millions type thing where he has to spend a large amount of money in a limited amount of time and we could call it 'LeBlanc Cheque'.

[Blue Jam]

You wonder if the pressure of being 'the funny one' in an ensemble sitcom would get to a young actor a bit.

In his book he comes across as someone who really wanted to be a leading man but was frustrated that he didn't quite have the looks for it. It seems he was jealous of Matt LeBlanc, and of course Keanu Reeves. He may have had more success as a character actor but it sounds like he would never have been truly satisfied with a career in supporting roles.

[Uncle TechTip]

Knew it would be someone on this board to make this joke. How do people who spend all their time watching comedy have the worst sense of humour of anywhere on the internet

RIP Matthew Perry I liked you in Friends when I was younger

Otherwise it's a banal list of platitudes like this

Cheers Matt you were really quite funny.

[Good Hank]

In his book he comes across as someone who really wanted to be a leading man but was frustrated that he didn't quite have the looks for it. It seems he was jealous of Matt LeBlanc, and of course Keanu Reeves. He may have had more success as a character actor but it sounds like he would never have been truly satisfied with a career in supporting roles.

Chandler was the one role they couldn't fill. I think they saw *everyone* for it, and were going to give it to one his his best mates, but the actor in question asked Perry what he should do, go for Friends where he'd be part of an ensemble, or lead another. IIRC he considered sabotaging him, but the guy chose his own sitcom.

[flotemysost]

This stuck in my mind from years ago;

DAVID CRANE: We brought everybody in. We were so sure that Chandler would be the easiest part to cast. It's got the most joke jokes. It's sarcastic and kind of quippy, but no one could do it. No one.

https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/05/friends-oral-history-top-of-the-rock

I remember reading a book about how to write comedy dialogue years ago, and it in a bit about creating funny characters it cited Friends, saying that Chandler's really the only one who is aware that he's being funny most of the time (so the audience is laughing "with" rather than "at", I suppose) and I think it's a specific skill to be able to pull that off convincingly.

Was never a hardcore Friends fan, but rewatched it a lot with my then-flatmate during lockdown and revised my youthful cynicism about it; it is actually pretty great for the most part and has undoubtedly brought joy to loads of people. RIP anyway, addiction's a bastard.